Tiburon's Garnish has chic style

Tiburon's Garnish offers a chic and contemporary take on decor - seaside style

Jeannie Matteucci

Published 5:40 pm, Thursday, October 18, 2012

Photo: Brooks Allen Photography

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Coastal-inspired furniture, accessories and lighting are offered at Garnish, a home decor boutique recently opened on Tiburon's Ark Row.

Coastal-inspired furniture, accessories and lighting are offered at Garnish, a home decor boutique recently opened on Tiburon's Ark Row.

Photo: Brooks Allen Photography

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Coastal-inspired furniture, accessories and lighting are offered at Garnish, a home decor boutique recently opened on Tiburon's Ark Row.

Coastal-inspired furniture, accessories and lighting are offered at Garnish, a home decor boutique recently opened on Tiburon's Ark Row.

Photo: Brooks Allen Photography

Tiburon's Garnish has chic style

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One of the newest additions to Tiburon's historic Ark Row, Garnish is a home decor store that offers coastal-inspired furniture, accessories and lighting. Interior designer and owner Lisa Benbow opened the store to share what she loves and give potential clients a chance to see her point of view.

"It's a store with a designer edge, an alternative to retail chain stores," says Benbow, 44. "I'm always looking for the unique, up-and-coming manufacturers of the latest accessories and case goods."

Benbow's take on coastal style is contemporary and edgy - she calls her look "contemp-preppy" - and reflects the different styles between waterfront communities in the Bay Area and beyond.

"There are many variations and facets to the coastal look," she says. "Beaches in the north like in the Hamptons are cooler and the look is generally more monotone, while in Florida you get an explosion of color. You really only need a couple elements for a coastal look - like coral in a basket. It's not just sailboats, pelicans and goofy anchors."

An eye-catching Imperial Trellis print wall covering from Kelly Wearstler for Schumacher lines the back wall of the 550-square-foot store and creates a backdrop for the beach-y vibe with white walls and an open-beam ceiling. An interesting selection of case goods ($900-$2,500) and decorative pillows with graphic designs and coastal prints ($58-$250) reflects Benbow's philosophy about ways to make a space feel special.

"End tables and cocktail tables are those pieces that can make a room unique," she says. "I like clean lines and a neutral base, and then you can work in color with accessories for contrast. Pillows are that decorative accessory that can update a room immediately without a huge financial investment."

Benbow also offers custom upholstered furniture, giving customers the chance to design their own sofa (around $2,000 to $3,500) at prices competitive with mass-produced alternatives.

"Here you can not just pick the fabric for your sofa, you can design the arms, length and depth of your sofa," she explains.

Garnish also features sea-inspired chandeliers, pendants and lamps ("they're like the jewelry of the room"), graphic print trays, contemporary prints and mirrors, picture frames with personality and area rugs with bold graphic prints or stripes. Benbow, a Sacramento native who shares her Cape Cod-style Tiburon home with her husband and two children, reports visitors say her first venture into retail feels like a happy space, or a room in a beautiful vacation home.

"When people like this look, it resonates with them immediately," she says. "We're a boutique home store, so it's not like I buy loads of anything. When customers shop here, they have a chance to find something unique and something they won't see in their neighbor's house."